muffler clamp tricks??

pierce

Member
I'm trying to clamp the new muffler pipe to the new exhaust header with a new clamp, and its not even close to working. (all parts bought from this site). the clamp arrived with one half backwards, so I flipped it around so the large side was on top of both halves and the smaller side was on the bottom.

its clamping tightly to the exhaust manifold, but the pipe is still way loose. is there supposed to be some sort of gasket ring between them? no such came with the clamp, manifold, or muffler.
 
" is there supposed to be some sort of gasket ring between them?"

No.

This method of attaching the exhaust pipe to the manifold was developed for the Model A Ford in 1927. If you pay attention to what you are doing, it will not leak. You do not need tinfoil or gasket sealer to prevent leaks. Use the correct parts & install them correctly & it will not leak.

If you have the correct clamp, it has a top & bottom. Make sure you have the clamp on correctly; check out tip # 8, below. All clamps are not created equally; the correct clamp should have 9/16 brass nuts.

Slide the tail pipe into the hanger clamp & then place the end of the exhaust pipe against the manifold. Look at it! Remember, the pipe will most always fit snugly to the OEM manifold w/o any problem, but a replacement manifold will likely not be the exact same size as the OEM manifold, so you will have some work to do. If it does not mate all the way around, put a broomstick down the pipe & into the manifold & gently bend the pipe until both surfaces mate snugly & squarely. If the exhaust pipe flange is bent, you will never get a good seal; check it out. The clamp is not a gasket; if the pipe & manifold do not mate tightly, it will leak.

Do not try & hold the exhaust pipe against the manifold w/ your hand & while you tighten the clamp. Get out your floor jack & a block of wood (I made a jig as in the pic); put the jack under the pipe to hold it tightly against the manifold. Confirm that the pipe is mated squarely to the manifold; if it is crooked, it will not seat. With the pipe jacked snugly and squarely to the manifold use your ¾ lb ball peen hammer and tap the pipe tight to the manifold flange all the way around. Its soft metal and this will only take about a minute. Tighten the clamp. (Don't get carried away w/ the jack or you will bend the pipe. Or, overtighten the clamp & snap it in two. BTDT). Put equal pressure on the clamp by tightening one side a few turns then a few turns on the other. Do not expect the clamp sides to touch; about 1/8” gap is normal.

When the clamp is tightened equally on both sides, remove the jack. If the pipe flops around, start over because you put the clamp on upside down. (Remember tip # 8)
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75 Tips
 
I'm installing a "U" pipe for a vertical muffler per my kid's request, having broken off two horizontal mufflers while clearing brush with the front loader... so Im not quite sure how that jack trick will work for me... but when I get another clamp, I'll try again. I managed to break the one I had trying to get it tight on the manifold. appeared to be a very poor quality casting

I know I had the right side of the clamp 'up', I carefully inspected it multiple times, I had the large opening on the manifold, and the small opening on the pipe.
 
and, I got a replacement clamp from the vendor, I'm trial fitting it on the new manifold before even putting the new exhaust pipe on, its a bit snug, I put maybe 5-10 ft-lbs on the nuts using a short handle ratchet, and SNAP. break *another* clamp.

where it cracked, it was corroded halfway through already, suggesting to me a very poor quality casting.


[i:a3e91a6705]click for bigger[/i:a3e91a6705]


sigh.

so I take the unbroken half of this clamp, and the unbroken half of the OTHER clamp and I take my dremel, and remove all the high spots from the end with the bigger opening, so each piece fits easily around the manifold, and tried Bruce's jack trick, and voila, clamp works.

I'm not sure how they expect you to secure the vertical exhaust pipe 'U' (I got the two-piece one with a seperate slip-on muffler), but I took a U-bolt, and drilled two holes in the cowl where the pipe should be, and bolted it through ... this is a ratty old tractor, not a show piece :)

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I do believe I'm gonna get a slipon extension to raise that exhaust a bit higher so you don't get quite so much smoke in your face.
 
"I do believe I'm gonna get a slipon extension to raise that exhaust a bit higher"

Might I also suggest a 90 degree bend or using a flapper cap to keep water out?
A 90 will point the exhaust away from you and keep it from blowing
dirt and dust off a ceiling if you keep it parked in an old barn, etc.
Also may let you keep it lower so as not to catch as many tree limbs.
 
yeah, thats what I'm thinking. but the 90 can't stick out too much or it will interfere with the loader when its 'high'

I was thinking of about a 12" rise, with a sharp 100-ish degree bend on the top, and cut off at a bias, so its like a hood.

this tractor lives outdoors, I don't have a barn suitable for it.
 
huh. muffler has a 1.5" OD exhaust pipe, and the flapper caps this site offers are for 2.5" pipes? thats not much use.

ok, i see $7 1.5" flappers on fleabay. close enough.
 
A flapper WILL NOT keep the water out. I know this from first hand experience with my IH 340. Vertical exhaust is a pain because of the fumes, noise, overhead clearance issues and rain.

I was going to convert that tractor to a down pipe like my N, but now have a backhoe on it and don't want to be sucking fumes while running that.

Since the tractor lives outdoors, your best option for the tip would be a straight pipe and a soup can to cover it when not in use. If you angle the pipe just right, you'll be able to catch the can from the seat after you start the tractor. :)
 
I just put a new muffler on my 1950 8N using an old clamp. I installed the clamp and pipe loosely and snugged it up just a little past finger tight and then tapped both halves of the clamp with a hammer, light taps. Then I was able to turn the nuts again, tapped again, turn and tap, until it seemed good and tight. I think this helped seat the pipe to the manifold. Some high pressure/temperature piping I worked on in the past used a metal gasket, with a slightly different angle on the pieces to make the seal, this reminded me of that.
 
Are all these pipe to manifold clams cast iron??

Seems like a totally dopey design to me.

My 50's Austin's with 1500 engines have the identical clamping system but they are steel with nice deep brass nuts and special washers that conform to the clamp. I should measure one and take a photo.
I'm thinking they are of identical size and type.

Turns out my pipe diameter is 1 3/8" but depending on the flare of manifold and pipe, the austin clamp might work well. Here's a photo of it and of the car it is in.
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My 8N had one of those clamps on it when I purchased it. I replaced it with a new cast clamp when I put a new manifold on it. That sheet metal clamp has no big side or small side on the groove like the cast clamps do but it was working alright when I removed it. From the looks of it, it was on the tractor quite a while. I agree, you would not break that clamp.

With the clamp closed all the way, the inside measures 1.940".

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